You may remember getting a memo from me last month, Rupert, when I pointed out
that your tabloid, the New York Post, repeated the canard that
sometime, somewhere Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan said “Judaism is
a dirty religion.” I wrote a letter to the paper asking the correction be
made, but the letter did not run and there was no correction. Yesterday, when
I picked up my copy of the Sunday paper, I noted a headline on top of the
front page which read: “Farrakhan Rips Lieberman.” On page 25, I found
this story:

Unorthodox views. Democratic vice-presidential candidate Joseph Lieberman has
come under fire from a likely source: Louis Farrakhan. Farrakhan, the Nation
of Islam head who has made anti-Semitic remarks in the past, questioned
whether Lieberman, an Orthodox Jew, would be more loyal to Israel than the
United States.

"Mr. Lieberman, as an Orthodox Jew, is also a dual citizen of
Israel," Farrakhan said. "The state of Israel is not synonymous with
the United States, and the test he would probably have to pass is: Would he be
more faithful to the Constitution of the United States than to the ties that
any Jewish person would have to the state of Israel?"

Democratic and Jewish leaders were quick to condemn Farrakhan's remarks.
"A leopard doesn't change its spots," said Abraham Foxman, national
director of the Anti-Defamation League, who called Farrakhan's comments
"as absurd and anti-Semitic as I can imagine."

"For 12 years, I guess, Senator Lieberman has had loyalties elsewhere
than the state of Connecticut," Foxman continued. Referring to the Nation
of Islam leader, Foxman wondered, "This is the man who is complaining
that we don't accept him, that we don't reach out to him, and that he's
repented?"

"It's sad," he said. "And it goes on." Rick Hess, a
spokesman for the Democratic National Committee, said "I'm sure most
Americans would repudiate those remarks." Lieberman was observing the
Sabbath yesterday and couldn't be reached for comment. He scoffed at a similar
question last week, saying that "in my work in the Senate, and if I am
honored and fortunate enough to become the vice president ... my first and
primary loyalty is, of course, to the United States of America."

Farrakhan once called Jews "wicked deceivers of the American
people."

That’s what your editors and reporters came up with, Rupert. Here, though,
is the press release sent out by the Nation of Islam after Minister Farrakhan
was asked a question about Senator Lieberman in Los Angeles.

LOS ANGELES--Is white America ready to have a Jewish
vice-president, who is a heart beat away from being the President of the
United States of America, was the question raised today by the Honorable
Minister Louis Farrakhan during an hour-long, morning press conference held at
the Radisson Hotel on Aug. 11. "If America answers that question well,
then America has indeed matured," he said.

Currently on a nationwide tour in support of the October 16, 2000 Million
Family March on Washington, Min. Farrakhan said that the country has to grow
beyond its own anti-Semitism and called Mr. Lieberman's nomination "a
great test for America."

When asked about Mr. Gore's choice for vice president, Min. Farrakhan offered
the context in which a vice president should be chosen. "Really, the top
consideration should be, should the evil accident of time or something
unfortunate happen to the President of the United States, that the vice
president in his experience and wisdom be able to step in and run the
country," said the Nation of Islam leader. Most everyone believes that
the Connecticut Senator has the ability to step in and run the country if
anything should happen, he said.

Citing a comment attributed to Rev. Jesse L. Jackson, Sr., the Minister said
the choice of Mr. Lieberman shows the maturity of the Democratic Party in
choosing a member of the Jewish faith to be the vice president. "That
choice now, must be accepted by the American people" and that choice is
not a problem of Blacks, but a test for whites, he said.

Mr. Lieberman, known for his conservative political views, needs to clarify
his commitment, Min. Farrakhan said, on issues sensitive to Blacks such as
affirmative action, charter schools and school vouchers. Min. Farrakhan
reminded the gathering that four decades ago, President John F. Kennedy was
the first Roman Catholic to be nominated for president and the concerns of the
public then, was whether or not he would be more loyal to the Vatican and the
Pope, or to the Constitution of the United States. "Mr. Kennedy passed
that test. Unfortunately, he was assassinated," Min. Farrakhan said.

Mr. Lieberman, as an orthodox Jew, is entitled to dual citizenship in both the
U.S. and in Israel under the law of return. "The state of Israel is not
synonymous with the United States," Min. Farrakhan said. "The test
that he would probably have to pass is would he be more faithful to the
Constitution of the United States than to the ties that any Jewish person
would have to the state of Israel," he said. In addition, the Minister
noted Mr. Lieberman's assertion, that the cornerstone of America's foreign
policy is the security of Israel.

"Now that to me is significant," Min. Farrakhan said. Any Arab or
Muslim country not in agreement with Israel under this kind of assertion may
be interpreted as a threat to U.S. foreign policy. "Then America's
foreign policy would lean toward ostracizing, vilifying or maligning those
Muslim states," he said. Min. Farrakhan said that he hopes that if Mr.
Gore and Mr. Lieberman become the President and Vice President of America,
that a just and fair policy would come from the government of the U.S. toward
Muslim states who may have some disagreement with Israel.

"If I were Jewish, and I saw a presidential hopeful, I would want to know
what their position is on Israel. As a Black man and as a Muslim I want to
know what your position would be with the Muslim states," he concluded.
In addition to the Lieberman question, Min. Farrakhan spoke of the moral decay
of America, the corporate buy-out of government, and the need to reconstruct
the family and the restoration of family values. He also addressed at length
the success of the 1995 Million Man March on Washington and explained the
vision for this year's fifth anniversary of that march.

With a million families gathering on the Washington Mall, Min. Farrakhan said,
armed with a National Agenda addressing policy issues and programmatic plans
of action for a new century, it will leverage a new beginning for America,
"if America is to survive," he said.

* * *

Now I have come to expect that Abe Foxman of the “Defamation League” would
do everything he can to promote hatred of the Nation of Islam and Louis
Farrakhan. He’s been doing nothing much else for the last dozen years since
he became executive director of the ADL. But do your editors report about
him or to him? If you did read the NOI press release, you will note Min.
Farrakhan made every effort to be complimentary to Sen. Lieberman and to
accept the consensus that if something happened to a President Gore, Lieberman
was capable of running the country. The only question he raised, politely, was
a legitimate one, given Senator Lieberman’s statements about the primacy of
Israel in U.S. foreign policy. When the talk shows this weekend tried to get
the Rev. Jesse Jackson to distance himself from Min. Farrakhan on this matter,
Jesse actually stood by Farrakhan and said this was a concern raised by other
black leaders.

I’m not writing another letter to your newspaper, Rupert, because the
editors do not want to be bothered with my constructive criticism. You,
though, are a man for whom I have great respect, both as a century-class
entrepreneur and as a political philosopher. I’m sure you want to do what is
right, but tend to believe what you read in the newspapers. If your reporters
were serious about keeping track of what is going on in the black community
instead of parroting Foxman, they would note the recent reconciliation of Min.
Farrakhan with Elijah Muhammad’s son, Imam Warith Mohammed, after more than
a generation of estrangement. They would also note the increased willingness
of other black leaders to support the efforts of Min. Farrakhan in trying to
repair the black family. A recent issue of the Final Call had a front-page
photograph of Min. Farrakhan flanked by Rev. Al Sharpton and Martin Luther
King III.

And by the way, I did note that in the Post story, there was missing
the assertion that Min. Farrakhan had once said “Judaism is a dirty
religion,” or “gutter religion,” which had been a staple in the paper
for many years. Maybe my memo to you did some good. I also notice they now
have a new staple. He once called Jews “deceivers of the American people.”
Notice the word “Jews” was left outside the quote marks, a sure sign the
other words were taken out of context.

You may as well do something about this now, Rupert, as I will continue to bug
you until the Post cleans up its act.